We understand that many families have been left frustrated and upset by the closure of Dovehouse Close play area. Eynsham Parish Council can only re-iterate our apologies and provide more details on the situation, now that we have it.
Following a second site visit with a small working party – and detailed discussions with our trained inspectors – we can confirm that the Dovehouse Close play area will remain closed for a period of two weeks while our team makes some key repairs. If we can re-open earlier, we will.
When the play area re-opens, more of the equipment will be sectioned off and/or temporarily removed, awaiting further work and the involvement of contractors to make repairs or carry out replacements.
We understand how popular the woods and the grass area are for families. These areas should remain accessible when the site re-opens, unless further, short-term work is required.
We will need to temporarily remove the goals whilst repairs are undertaken to the underground fixings. Families may need to resort to using jumpers or other personal items to serve as goal posts over the short term. Once the goals are back in situ, we plan to rotate them to allow the worn grass to recover, which will improve the area and the experience for everyone over the longer term.
The area and the equipment will be regularly monitored by our team and the Council will continue to explore funding for the repairs needed to make the equipment safe for use.
UPDATE 5 November 2025
Unfortunately, due to unexpected complications during excavation work, the adverse weather we had last week, and supplier delays, the closure of Dovehouse Close Play Area will need to be extended. We apologise for the ongoing inconvenience of this closure. We will confirm the re-opening date as soon as we are able.